


Ending with a Huh?

by yourlibrarian



Series: Reviews [25]
Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: Episode Review, Episode: s03e14 Mars Bars, Episode: s03e20 The Bitch Is Back, Gen, Nonfiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:07:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29925606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourlibrarian/pseuds/yourlibrarian
Summary: The final episodes of S3, which ended up being the end of the Veronica Mars series, just left more questions.
Series: Reviews [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/465847
Kudos: 1
Collections: March Meta Matters Challenge





	Ending with a Huh?

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted February 21 - March 16, 2007

There were plot twists and shocks, but quite a few things didn't make sense in the end. Things I liked about the last 2 episodes of the series:

1) We got to say goodbye to all the characters.  
2) The callback to S1 with the Kanes was a nice touch, as was Wallace flying his plane at the beach.

Things I didn't like about the last 2 episodes.

1) For crying out loud, can we PLEASE stop having sexual attack cases featured on this show (even if in this case it was more indirect). Do the writers seriously believe women never suffer in any other way? Did we really have to have Veronica videotaped having sex as the final storyline of the series? Baby how far you haven't come.

2) Why on earth did we waste time on Dick in these episodes? Granted perhaps there was some set up for S4 there, but then last season we finished with Kendall and a briefcase full of cash and we all saw how that ended up. The return of his father, the guilt over Cassidy, it all went nowhere. And on a personal note I have to say I've always disliked Dick's character. Not only is he obnoxious (and his confessions about his behavior just made me loathe him more), but the only reason I can see for his introduction in the show was to make Logan look better by comparison. Since Logan was being set up as a love interest for Veronica he could no longer afford to look like a complete ass. (And yes, I also saw the need for a confidante since Duncan had left, but why not move Wallace into that spot? There had been a promising start to that which was dropped).

3) The totally flat finale. I guess we're supposed to assume that Keith will lose the election, Logan will be bumped off by the relatives of Gory, Veronica and Piz will split up due to both distance and his failure to make "the big gesture" and Eli will apparently be unemployed for life now that he's disabled and fired (if he got rehired after he was cleared of charges I must have missed it). Even if the show was coming back the ending lacked either punch or closure.

4) The writing seemed particularly by the numbers. The only amusing bit at all just hung a lantern on two truly atrocious examples of product placement -- first the hideously unnecessary scene of Veronica shaving, followed by her stating her choice of vehicle. Yes the "Rob Thomas is a whore" line afterwards was amusing, but it just made it clearer how deep the interference in this show had gone.

The death of Sheriff Lamb was a bit of a surprise, but not just because the character's gone. Rather it was because some weeks back Muhney had posted at rack_of_lamb on LJ and was speaking of Veronica Mars in the past tense. It made me wonder if the show had certain news of its cancellation. It wouldn't have surprised me given the ratings and the general downturn of the writing this season. But the moment I saw Lamb shoot the mirror I was sure of what was going to happen and realized why VM was in the past for him.

In general this episode was much better than the usual fare we've gotten this season. For starters we actually had all the original characters in the episode! So I guess that means next week Veronica won't have to take on the case of the disappearing Wallace (who I suppose has just been studying really really hard to pass his engineering courses.) Given that Veronica's case revolved around a basketball player and Wallace is ON THE TEAM you'd think he'd have turned up before Veronica got herself tossed in jail. Also, we could have had Wallace partnering with Mac et al on the scavenger hunt but I guess that wouldn't have set up the latest tiresome on-off thing between Veronica and Logan.

I realize that producers are convinced a longstanding couple has no interest for people but I am way more turned off by the ridiculously obvious "Angst! Betrayal! OhNoes!" that's been going on with V/L. The clumsy foreshadowing of problems not only in the dialogue but even by those stupid Aerie girls (is anyone else thrilled that the ridiculous Aerie Tuesday thing has been dropped?) was like an anvil and the anviliciousness has continued in each episode as something keeps appearing to keep separate the two. I think if they wanted to keep V/L apart there were all sorts of organic ways to do it based on the very real differences between the two in terms of personality, lifestyle and Logan's level of infamy. Yet instead of subtle discontent the show keeps giving us high levels of artificial drama which just gets tiresome. I was also not impressed by an echo of the Spike-Dawn dynamic from Buffy when we get a chiave-ex-machina to explore the V/L relationship since neither is speaking to one another. Again, much more subtly done on Buffy. I almost expected the girl to use the word "Epic."

On the other hand this episode kept me guessing about both case plotlines. Even though I saw the ending of Josh's coming it played out in a satisfying way (though I rather wondered about him being able to easily unload that coin collection). Also, although I am sorry for Muhney that his role is over, getting Lamb out of the way is a good start in thinning the herd of unnecessary characters that has sprung up since S1. Veronica spends more time on her own in each episode than she does with the supporting cast, which doesn't give them a lot to do. It's a wonderful cast of actors and some potentially intriguing characters who simply don't get developed. It seems a few people found the whole Tim as murdered storyline just as confusing as I did (I agree with the person who said that he murdered the Dean within half an hour of picking up the Mindy-Landry call. It takes impulsiveness to a new level with all the planning to be done). I also completely fail to understand where Mindy's ex fit into anything except as a distracting plot device. I'm more surprised though by how many people thought that Tim as the murderer was a perfectly ok explanation simply because he came off as creepy.

In conclusion, this latest escapee to Mexico and hints that Landry may do a runner makes me want to suggest that they all could meet up with Duncan and redo "Tres Hombres y Un Bebe." But the next episode just left me more confused. First, points to the show for giving us a twisty-turny episode and at least one scene with Wallace (which made me miss the lack of Veronica and Wallace but I digress). However the ending made no sense to me. 

If Tim Foyle's entire motive for killing O'Dell was to bring ruin on Landry for his bad job recommendation, why on earth would he help spring Landry from jail? It wasn't Landry who called him, he was the one who showed up. And Foyle also gave Veronica the disposable cell phone. Why set up Landry's alibi with the stripper at all? With Landry on trial, Foyle gets to teach his class for a while and those bad recommendations won't seem so awful when they were given by an accused murderer who at the very least was exposed as having an affair with the dean's wife. Better for him all around. And if he was going to be testifying in a trial should he be freely giving details about the case to a class full of undergrads?

I don't know, it just seemed like one twist too many there at the end. Although kudos to the actor. I never realized he had also played Lucky in S2.


End file.
